Rolling mill



Nov. 15, 1982. J, R, OE 1,887,870

ROLLING MILL Filed Dec. 23. 1929 Patented Nov. lli, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT Vori-ICE JAMES It. COE, F WATERBUBY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNO'R TO THE AMERICAN BRASS COHPANY, 0F WATEBCBUBY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F CONNECTICUT ROLLING MILL Application led December 28, 1929. Serial No. 415,918.

This invention relates to a rolling mill for rolling metal, and particularly to a rolling mill of the so-called 4-high type in which there is a pair of workin rolls, usually of relatively small diameter, etween which the metal is passed during the rolling operation and a pair of backing rolls of relatively large diameter, there being a backing roll for each working roll located one above the upper Working roll and one below the lower working roll on the surfaces of which the working rolls run. These backing rolls back up the working rolls by receiving the lateral pressures due to the rolling operation for which.

the relatively small worklng rolls would not have sulicient strength to maintain them in proper position. Thus, rolls of smaller diameter can be used for the working rolls with the consequent advantages and improved op-` eration secured with these rolls which are well known to those skilled in the art.

It has been found in actual operation that in this type of rolling mill, if the relatively small working rolls are located in line with the backing rolls, that is, when the axes or center line of all four rolls are in the same plane, there is a tendency for the working rolls to roll on the metal instead of rolling the metal. It has also been found that this tendency is offset if the position of the working rolls is oii'set slightly with relation to the backing rolls by placing them somewhat behind the backing rolls as viewed from theside at which the metal is entered into the rolls. This feature makes it necessary to operate vall existing 4-high mills of 'which I am aware in one direction only and makes it impossible to reverse the rolls for rolling metal in the opposite direction which is often desirable practice. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a rolling mill of this type in which the rolls are so mounted that the backing rolls and working rolls may be relatively shifted laterally so that the centers of the working rolls may be. located on opposite sides of the line or plane joining the centers ofthe backing rolls and thus the rolls can be operated in opposite directions.

Itis also an object of the invention to provide means by which these rolls may be quickly shifted from one side to the other with a minimum loss of time.

It is another object of the invention to provide adjustable means to limit the relative lateral movements so that when once the device is set the movable rolls may be quickly shifted from one side to the other and will be located in proper position without further attention.

With. vthe foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully disclosed in connection with-the accompanying drawing.

In this drawing Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a rolling mill showlng one embodiment of my improved ydevice applied thereto, certain parts being broken away to more clearly show the construction, and

Fig. 2 is a top plan View on a reduced scale showmg somewhat diagrammatically the arrangement of the rolls and a. driving means therefor.

The rolling mill illustrated comprises the usual upright housings between which the rolls are mounted. This mill being a socalled 4-high mill comprises two working rolls 11 and 12 of relatlvely small diamter between which the metal to be rolled is passed, and these rolls a-re backed up bythe backing rolls 13 and 14 of relatively large diameter, the backing roll 13 being located above the working roll 11 land the backing roll 14 below the working roll 12. Bearing blocks are provided for the necks 15 of the backing rolls,

blocks 16 for the lower roll being usually stationary in the housing while thebearingblocks 17 for` the upper roll are vertically adjustable to regulate the thickness of the metal being rolled, and suitable mechanismis provided for adjusting the position of these bearing blocks and thus the roll, which mechanism may be of any desired type and is not shown on the drawing as it forms no part of my present invention. The necks 18 and 19 on the working rolls 11 and 12 are' mounted in bearing blo'cks 20 and 21 which are mounted to slide transversely of the axes of the backing rolls 13 and 14. A convenient manner of mounting these bearing blocks for t@ working rolls is on the bearing blocks 17 and 16 of their respective backing rolls as this provides asimple construction and also maintains the working rolls in proper relation to their respective backing rolls. Thus, the bearing block 21 for the lower working roll is mounted in transverse guideways 22 on the top of the bearing block 16 while the upper block 2() is mounted to slide in similarguideways 23 on the lower side of the bearing block 17. In the case of the upper block 20, as it is desirable that the upper working roll be raised with the upper backing roll when it is adjusted, means is provided for preventing the block 2O dropping away from the block 17 Thus, screws or bolts 24 are threaded into the block 17 and pass through elongated slots 25 in the block 20. These bolts thus permit the block to slide laterally, but lift it when the upper block is adjusted.

I have shown power means for adjusting the positions of the working rolls with respect to the backing rolls, but it will of course be understood that other means may be provided for shifting the rolls, and also that, as it is the relative lateral shifting that is required .between the working and backing rolls to secure the desired result, the working rolls may be held stationary and the backing rolls shifted. It is, however, more convenient to shift the working rolls. The mechanism shown in the drawing for doing this comprises a pair of cylinders 26 and 27 mounted at opposite sides of the housing, and in each cylinder is a Huid-operated piston 28 connected by means of a piston rod 29 to a block 30 engaging the opposite ends of the bearing blocks 20 and 21 for the working rolls. Each piston rod passes through and` has a bearing in a stop sleeve 31 adjustably mounted in the housing as by threading it in the housing as shown at 32. Each sleeve has a head 33 shaped to receive a suitable tool such as a wrench for turning the sleeve to adjust its position in the housing, and after adjustment it may be secured in the adjusted position by a lock nut 34. The inner` ends 35 of these sleeves lie in a position to be engaged by the blocks 30 to limit the lateral movements of these blocks and the bearing blocks 2O and 21. Means is provided for supplying fiuid under pressure such as air to the cylinders on opposite sides of the pistons 28, these being shown merely diagrammatically as pipes 36 controlled by suitable valves 37. The working rolls may be driven by any suitable driving means, such'for instance as the usual flexible coupling drive indicated diagrammatically at 38 in Fig. 2 and driven from any suitable source of power, not shown. This fiexible drive will permit any necessary lateral adjustment of the Working rolls without interfering with the proper' driving of the rolls.

When theV parts are in the position shown in full lines Fig. 1, the working rolls 11 and 12 with their centers on the line A positioned somewhat to the left of the line C joining the centers of the backing rolls l13 and 14 are in the proper position for rolling metal passing through the rolls from the right or in the direction of the arrow D. In this posit-ion, the uid under pressure is exhausted from the left side of the left hand piston 26 and is applied to the right hand side of the piston in cylinder 27, thus holding bearing blocks 20 and 21 in their left hand position, which is determined by the st op shoulder 35 on the inner end of the left hand sleeve 31. Should it. bedesirable to reverse the rolls and pass the metal in the opposite direction, all that is necessary is to exhaust the fluid pressure from the right hand end of the piston in the cylinder 27 and apply it to the left hand end v of the piston in the cylinder 26, which pressure will immediately shift the blocks 2O and 21 to the right against the end 35 of the right hand stop sleeve 31. This will automatically locate the working rolls with their centers on the line -B to the right of the line C through the centers of the backing rolls. Thus, it will be obvious that the working rolls may be quickly and easily shifted from one side to the other of the plane C joining the axes of the backing rolls depending on in which direction it is desired to operate the mill, and that the rolls are firmly held in this position during the rolling operation. Also, that the stop sleeves 31 may be adjusted to the proper position and automatically limit this shifting movementof the working rolls, and will locate them in proper position with reference to the backing rolls.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a rolling mill, a pair of upright spaced housings, a pair of vertically spaced backing rolls between said housings, bearing blocks for said rolls in said housings, a pair of work rolls of smaller diameter be tween said backing rolls, and bearing blocks for the work rolls mounted for sliding movement on the blocks for the backing rolls in a direction transversely of their axes.

2. In a rolling mill, a pair of uprighti work rolls mounted for sliding movement on the blocks for the backing rolls in a direction, transversely of their axes, and means fQgr shifting said blocks for the work rolls in op"- posite directions.

3. In a rolling mill, a pair of vertically.

spaced backing rolls, a pair of work rolls of smaller diameter between the backing rolls, means for mounting one set of the rolls in laterally slidable bearing blocks to permit relative lateral movements between the work rolls and the'backing rolls so that the axes of the work rolls may be positioned on opposite sides of the plane joining the axes of the backing rolls, means for moving the slidable stocks for shifting the movable rolls, and adjustable stop means for limiting the movements of the movable rolls.

4. In a rolling mill, an upright housing, a pair of vertically spaced backing rolls having bearings in said housing, a pair of smaller work rolls mounted between the backing rolls, laterally movable bearing blocks for the work rolls, and power means comprising cylinder mounted on opposite sides of the housing and pistons in said cylinders connected to said bearing blocks and capable of quickly shifting them laterally in opposite directions between passes.

5. In a rolling mill, an upright housing, a pair of vertically spaced backing rolls having bearings in said housing, a pair of smaller work rolls mounted between the backing rolls, bearing blocks for the Work rolls, Huid operated cylinders on opposite sides of the bearing blocks for shifting them laterally in opposite directions,`and adjustable stop means to limit movements of said blocks. v

6. In a rolling'mill, an upright housing, a pair of vertically spaced backing rolls, a pair of work rolls between the backing rolls, bearing blocks for the work rolls guided for lateral sliding movement in the housing to permit positioning the axes of the work rolls on opposite sides of the plane joining the axes of the backing rolls, uid operated pistons on opposite sides of the bearing blocks and having piston rods connected with said blocks to shift them in opposite directions, and bearing sleeves for the piston rods adjustably mounted in the housing and providing stops to limit the movements of the bearing blocks in opposite. directions. f

7. In a rolling mill, a pair of upright housings, a pair of vertically spaced backing rolls between the housings, a pair of work rolls of smaller diameter between the backing rolls, means for mounting one setvof rolls in laterally slidable bearing blocks to permit relative lateral movements between the Work rolls and the backing rolls so that the axes of the work rolls may be positioned on opposite sides of the plane joining the axes of the backing rolls, bearings in the housings, and iuid pressure operated means reciprocally mounted in said latter bearings for moving the slidable blocks back and forth for shifting the movable rolls.

8. In a rolling mill, a pair of upright spaced housings, a pair of vertically spaced backing rolls between said housings, bearing blocks for said rolls in said housings having guides,

a pair of work rolls of smaller diameter between said backing rolls, bearings for the work rolls mounted for transverse movement in said guides in the bearings for theirfrespective backing rolls, and means for shifting the work roll bearings back and forth in said guides.

9. In a rolling mill, a pair of upright spaced housings, a pair of vertically spaced backing rolls between said housings, bearing blocks for said rolls in said housings, a pair of work rolls of smaller diameter between said backing rolls,.the bearings for the backing rolls having guides extending in a direction transversely of the axes of the rolls, bearings for the work rolls mounted for transverse movement in said guides in the bearings for their respective backing rolls, means for vertically adjusting the upper backing roll bearings. means for securing the bearings for the upper work roll to the bearings for the upper backing roll to move therewith, and means for shifting the work roll bearings back and forth in their respective guides.

10. In a rolling mill, a pair of upright spaced housings, a pair of vertically spaced `backing rolls between said housings, bearing blocksfor said rolls in said housings, a pair of work` rolls of smaller diameter between said backing rolls, the bearings for the backing rolls having transverse guides, bearings for the work rolls mounted for transverse movement in said guides in the bearings for their respective backing rolls, and uid pressure operated means for simultaneously shifting the bearings for both work rolls back and forth in said guides to position the axes of the work rolls on opposite sides of the plane joining the axes of the backing rolls.

'11. In a rolling mill, a pair of work rolls having necks, a backing roll for each work roll, bearing blocks for the necks of the work rolls, means for guiding the bearing blocks for movement transversely of the plane joining the axes of the backing rolls, power means at the opposite ends of the work rolls, and means operated by the respective power means engaging the vbearing blocks of both work rolls at that end to simultaneously shift JAMES R. COE. 

